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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24775930">watercolors</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshllyman/pseuds/joshllyman'>joshllyman</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sportsfest 2020 fills [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Bokuto is an artist, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mentioned Kuroo Tetsurou, Mentioned Tsukishima Kei, Nonbinary Akaashi Keiji, Nonbinary Character, Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:28:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>746</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24775930</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshllyman/pseuds/joshllyman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bokuto doesn’t make a habit of staring at strangers in coffee shops. If Kuroo were here, he’d be kicking him under the table and telling him to knock it off before he gets the cops called on him. Tsukki would probably be the one to call the cops on him.<br/>It's just that he can't help it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sportsfest 2020 fills [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1789072</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>watercolors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>prompt here: <a href="https://sportsfest.dreamwidth.org/27747.html?thread=3105891#cmt3105891">sportsfest 2020</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Bokuto doesn’t make a habit of staring at strangers in coffee shops. If Kuroo were here, he’d be kicking him under the table and telling him to knock it off before he gets the cops called on him. Tsukki would probably be the one to call the cops on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s just that he can’t help it. The stranger is so incredibly beautiful...they would make an excellent painting. Bokuto imagines it, against his better judgment. The stranger is all cool colors, blues and purples, with a striking mop of black curls on their head. He pictures them against a dark background, flecks of white added in to look like stars, but of course they’re the real star, the foreground, the call to attention—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto blinks, eyes widening. “Y-yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there a reason you’re staring at me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto burns a bright red under their gaze. “I’m really sorry,” he exclaims, earnestness bubbling over. “It’s just that I think you’re very beautiful—not in a creepy way! I’m an artist, and uh, I was just picturing what a painting of you might look like, because I think you’d make a great work of art—not that you aren’t already a work of art—shit—I’m really sorry!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Half the stranger’s mouth curves upward into what might be a smile, and Bokuto falls a little further in love with his subject. “What medium do you work with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Paint, usually,” Bokuto answers. The blush refuses to go away. His voice drops into a mumble as he adds “I was thinking you would be nice in watercolors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Akaashi!” calls the barista behind the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stranger—Akaashi—walks away to retrieve their coffee, and Bokuto feels a mixture of disappointment and relief. He probably could have made a bigger fool of himself, if he’d tried really hard, but he’s not sure how. He goes back to the game on his phone, the little Magikarp on the screen taunting him by refusing to jump any higher. He purses his lips, wondering what items he might be able to buy to add some sort of a bonus, when the sound of a chair being scraped across the floor startles him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he looks up, it’s Akaashi sitting across from him, their eyes watching him carefully. Bokuto’s hand shakes a little as he sets his phone down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Bokuto Koutarou,” he says, too loud in the quiet atmosphere. He winces and tries to adjust as he continues. “And you’re Akashi! I heard the barista.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Akaashi,” Akaashi corrects. “Akaashi Keiji.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right.” Bokuto is smoldering again. “Um. Not that I mind, but, I feel like I’m being real dumb and making an idiot of myself—Kuroo says I do that when I like someone—Kuroo’s my best friend, he likes to think he’s really cool but he’s just as lame as I am—not that I’m lame! I’m a great artist! I just mean like, with talking to people and stuff, I’m not usually so good at that because I ramble...which is what I’m doing now. Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No need to apologize,” Akaashi says. “Honestly, I find your rambling to be quite charming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto picks up his coffee and takes a too-long sip to hide the fact that he’s blushing. Again. He wonders if he’ll ever be able to talk to Akaashi without blushing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You seem very interesting, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi goes in in lieu of a response from Bokuto. “You’ve been more genuine in the few minutes we’ve spoken than most other people can be in their entire lives.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you’ve been meeting the wrong people, Akaashi,” Bokuto answers, a small frown tugging at his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi smiles. “It seems I have. Would you like to join me for dinner tomorrow night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Bokuto says. He can’t help it; once he opens his mouth, most people lose interest in him altogether.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A faint pink dusts Akaashi’s cheeks. “My apologies if I’m being too forward. I simply thought to get to know you better, but if you would prefer not to—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no!” In his haste, Bokuto reaches across and grasps Akaashi’s wrist. “I would love to! I was just surprised, is all, like I said, I’m not very good with people in general.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi’s eyes sparkle, and Bokuto is reminded once again of stars. “Perhaps you’ve been meeting the wrong people too, then, Bokuto-san.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto ducks his head and smiles, the warmth of Akaashi’s skin pleasant under his fingers. “I guess so.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>now with <i> absolutely stunning art </i> by <a href="https://twitter.com/LilijaNArt"> @lilijanart </a> on twitter! check it out <a href="https://sportsfest.dreamwidth.org/27339.html?thread=3137483#cmt3137483"> here </a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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